On Chess: Kasparov's mind always a marvel

The ability to calculate is only one of many abilities that determine the outcome of a chess game, but it's an important one.

The ability to calculate is only one of many abilities that determine the outcome of a chess game, but it's an important one.

From his first appearance as a schoolboy at the training sessions of former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik, Garry Kasparov's ability to reel off long sequences of moves amazed onlookers.

Several years ago, as he neared the end of a two-decade reign as the world's dominant player, Kasparov proudly declared that his calculating powers were still at least as good as those of the best of the younger generation.

During a news conference at his 1990 title match with Viswanathan Anand, Kasparov took pleasure in rattling off moves from the game they had just played - provoking nervous laughter from the audience.

In his recent book Chess Duels: My Games With the World Champions, Yasser Seirawan recalls a 1983 post-mortem of a game between Kasparov and Boris Spassky in Niksic, Yugoslavia.

"Garry showed 10- and 12-move variations effortlessly. Boris was reduced to comments like 'Yes, of course' (and) 'Yes, very interesting.'"

Seirawan and the two other elite grandmasters present, Jan Timman and Ljubomir Ljubojevic, were dumbfounded.

"This was a calculating machine without peer," Seirawan wrote. "We could hardly believe what we saw. It was sublime, jaw-dropping."

Shelby Lyman is a Basic Chess Features columnist.

Beginner's corner

Hint & explanation:

Force mate, not Nxg4.

Solution to Beginner's corner:

1. Nf3ch! 2. Kh1 Rg2! (threatens Rg1 mate). If 3. Ne3, Rh2 mate!

How the masters play

Below is a win by Friso Nijboer against Vasily Nedilko from the European Individual Chess Championships in Rijeka, Croatia.